TAHLEQUAH – NSU softball returns home to play its second weekend of conference games. The RiverHawks welcome Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western Friday and Saturday, respectively.

THE LEAD OFF

• The RiverHawks are 14-8 on the season and 2-2 in conference play. NSU is 9-3 on its home field.
• There are six batters hitting over .298 for the RiverHawks. Rhomie Bradshaw leads the group batting .407 with 13 extra base hits. Alyssia Crick leads the slugging effort with seven home runs.
• NSU leads the conference with 25 long balls which is seventh nationally and NSU is fifth nationally in doubles.
• The first baseman/left fielder Bradshaw is tied for the MIAA lead with 11 stolen bases.
• Gail Young (10-3) has thrown the most innings in the conference by 20.0 and spun ten complete games. She has 55 wins in her career, five off of Kayce Wooldridge (2013-16), who holds NSU's NCAA era mark for wins by a starting pitcher. 
• NSU's top pitchers, Young and Jenna Chassie, each have been steady of late. Combined they have a 2.81 ERA.
• Fans will be allowed and are asked to socially distance the best they can.

LAST WEEKEND RECAP

• NSU had a late change to its scheduled and traveled to Warrensburg to take on a receiving votes St. Cloud State and Concordia St. Paul. NSU split the two games with both.
• It took extra innings but NSU won the opener 5-4 to hand St. Cloud State its first loss of the season.
• The RiverHawks relied heavily on its pitching as the offense could only muster 10 runs across the four games.

ABOUT THE FOES
Northwest Missouri 6-6 (0-0 in MIAA) – Friday March 26 12/2 p.m.

• NWMSU holds a 14-11 advantage since 1998 over NSU. The RiverHawks swept the last meeting in Tahlequah in 2019.
• The Bearcats are yet to play a home game and this series opens MIAA play for them.
• Kaitlyn Weis leads the team hitting .469 which is third in the conference with six home runs. There are two other players hitting over .300.
• Weis also leads the team in ERA while the staff has a 5.78 collective ERA and 2.11 WHIP.

Missouri Western 13-5 (2-0 in MIAA) – Saturday Match 27 12/2 p.m.

• The teams have split the last two series in Tahlequah.
• Five players are batting over .300 led by Sydni Hawkins who is hitting .571 which is fifth nationally.
• In the circle, MWSU leads the MIAA with a 1.54 staff ERA and is tenth nationally.

UP NEXT: NSU will make the Central Missouri (Friday) and Lincoln (Saturday) trip next weekend.